Truck Parts and Service

April 2015

Truck Parts and Service | Heavy Duty Trucking, Aftermarket, Service Info

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2 T here's a battle brewing in the fl eet world around the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Adminis- tration's (FMCSA) Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) program. Last September a bill was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives that called for the abolition of publicly visible fl eet CSA scores. Proposed by Rep. Lou Barletta (R-Pa.) — and publicly supported by the American Trucking Associations, Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association and National Association of Small Trucking Companies — the bill was introduced not long after Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx's offi ce was fl ooded with petitions from trucking companies seeking to remove their scores from public view. In their petitions the fl eets argued public CSA scores were providing inac- curate performance risk measurements, creating misconceptions about their capable service and hurting their ability to acquire new business. Six months later a similar bill made its way to the House, again targeted at the FMCSA and visible CSA scores. The FMCSA did not alter its publica- tion parameters as a result of either bill, instead choosing to only further expand the availability of CSA scores with introduction of a mobile application on March 17. As you can expect, the fl eet industry did not take well to this app. In an interview with the ATA the day after the app was released, Susan Fleming, director of the physical infra- structure department at Government Accountability Offi ce (GAO), addressed the trucking industry's concerns with the app and CSA score visibility as a whole. Citing a prior GAO study, Fleming said the current CSA scoring process has signifi cant fl aws, unintentionally discriminates against smaller carriers and lacks correlation between CSA BASIC scores and crash occurrence/avoidance. "[The app] is another way of publicly displaying information we don't consider to be reliable," Fleming said. The FMCSA has yet to respond to Fleming's comments or the second bill, and as of our press date fl eet scores are still available on the CSA website. Where this battle goes from here, I can't say, but I do think a resolution or compromise could unintentionally impact the aftermarket. That's because while fl eets are con- cerned with third-party businesses using their CSA scores against them, aftermar- ket businesses are actually using those scores to help them. CSA's website publishes more than just crash data; it also includes in-depth information on fl eet maintenance. This information allows aftermarket business- es to research customers' problem areas, and offer products, services and mainte- nance solutions based on their needs. It allows the aftermarket to better serve its customers. If either of the two proposed bills eventually pass, or the fl eet community and FMCSA broker a separate agree- ment, the aftermarket's access to this valuable CSA information could go away. This makes me wonder if the after- market wouldn't benefi t from entering this debate, if for no other reason than to communicate its secondary impact to possible solutions. I completely understand the fl eet community's concern about public scores. If I was a small fl eet owner, I'd be justifi ably troubled about a govern- ment program that could present my fl eet unfavorably and incorrectly to my customers. Yet at the same time, if I was hav- ing performance or maintenance issues with my fl eet, I'd want help. I'd want to partner with an aftermarket business that understood my problems and had the ability to help me fi x them. Accessible CSA scores provide that. Fleets aren't going to rest in their quest to take down CSA scores. They don't want that information out there. But if you and your fl eet customers are true partners, maybe they might be willing to make an exception for you. T R U C K P A R T S & S E R V I C E | A p r i l 2 0 1 5 The CSA conundrum By Lucas Deal, Editor lucasdeal@randallreilly.com Editorial | Lucas Deal If I was having performance or maintenance issues with my fl eet, I'd want help.

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